MIT is boldly offering free education for all, starting in 2012. The online classes will be available for everyone everywhere regardless of academic background.
The program, called MITx, will not allow students to get degrees, but if they master a subject, they will receive an official certificate of completion, according to an article at SmartPlanet.
MIT Media Lab, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons:
This program will build upon and expand the already-established OpenCourseWare program. MIT free education software will offer a more realistic classroom experience, with opportunities for student discussion and access to online labs.
The classes will be totally free, but MIT may charge a small fee for the credential. For those who just want the knowledge, it will be there for the taking.
MIT also plans to make the online learning software available free of cost to other schools and universities so that they can use it to offer their own courses.
In a time when rising tuition costs are keeping many students out of college, this program can open doors for many. Perhaps, the competition could even cause private online universities to lower their tuition costs.
Also, by making these courses available everywhere and regardless of academic background, MIT will spread even more education to those who before now could not qualify for it or afford it. The only requirement will be the ability to study and learn the material.
What a promising step MIT free education is for those who seek to learn and acquire new skills!
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Comments: 6
Bam! How comics teach science
Oh, wait. Didn't this country's best years coincide with the biggest investment in education? I hope MIT's new program catches on, and then expands.
God didn't make this country great. An educated populace did.